The present invention relates to a solid catalyst component for olefin polymerization, a catalyst for olefin polymerization, a process for producing an olefin polymer and a process for producing a solid catalyst component for olefin polymerization.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,875 discloses a solid catalyst component, which is a new olefin polymerization catalyst component, and which is obtained by supporting a magnesium compound and a titanium compound on a carrier of a functional group-carrying polymer. More specifically, the patent discloses a process for producing an ethylene based polymer with use of a catalyst, which catalyst is obtained by a process comprising the following steps (i) to (v):
(i) dissolving an ethylene-unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer in an organic solvent,
(ii) adding a poor solvent to the resulting solution to precipitate the ethylene-unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer,
(iii) separating the precipitated copolymer by filtration, drying the separated copolymer, and then pulverizing the dried copolymer,
(iv) contacting the pulverized copolymer, an organomagnesium compound and a transition metal compound with one another to obtain a solid catalyst component, and
(v) contacting the obtained solid catalyst component with an organoaluminum compound to obtain a catalyst.
The patent also discloses that the obtained catalyst can exhibit a high activity in the polymerization of olefin, particularly in the copolymerization of ethylene with an xcex1-olefin.
However, the above-mentioned catalyst is not sufficient from a viewpoint of obtaining an olefin polymer having a low content of lower molecular weight polymers and/or low crystallinity polymers. In addition, the above-mentioned solid catalyst component has a problem such that it contains a lot of fine powders to make its particle size distribution broad, and as a result, the obtained ethylene-xcex1-olefin copolymer is not satisfactory in its powder properties.
Objects of the present invention are to provide (i) a solid catalyst component for olefin polymerization, (ii) a highly active catalyst for olefin polymerization, (iii) a process for producing an olefin polymer, particularly a copolymer of ethylene with an xcex1-olefin, and (iv) a process for producing a solid catalyst component for olefin polymerization, according to which an olefin polymer having an extremely low content of lower molecular weight polymers and/or low crystallinity polymers, and an olefin polymer having superior powder properties can be obtained.
The present inventors have undertaken extensive studies to achieve the objects. As a result, it has been found that the objects can be achieved by providing (i) a solid catalyst component (A-1) for olefin polymerization, which is obtained from a combination of a carrier (a-1) of carboxyl group-carrying polymer powder having a specific average particle size and a transition metal compound (b) of the number 4 group of metals in the periodic table of elements, and (ii) a solid catalyst component (A-2) for olefin polymerization, which is obtained from a combination of a carboxyl group-carrying polymer carrier (a-2), a transition metal compound (b) of the number 4 group of metals in the periodic table of elements and a phenol compound (c). Thereby, the present invention has been obtained.
The present invention provides a solid catalyst component (A-1) for olefin polymerization, which is obtained by a process comprising the step of contacting:
(a-1) a carrier of carboxyl group-carrying polymer particles having an average particle diameter of from 1 to 300 xcexcm, and
(b) a transition metal compound of the number 4 group of metals in the periodic table of elements.
The present invention further provides a catalyst for olefin polymerization, which is obtained by a process comprising the step of contacting:
(A-1) the above-mentioned solid catalyst component, and
(B) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an organoaluminum compound and an organoaluminumoxy compound.
The present invention further provides a process for producing an olefin polymer, which comprises the step of polymerizing an olefin in the presence of the above-mentioned catalyst.
The present invention further provides a process for producing a solid catalyst component (A-1) for olefin polymerization, which comprises the step of contacting:
(a-1) a carrier of carboxyl group-carrying polymer particles having an average particle diameter of from 1 to 300 xcexcm, and
(b) a transition metal compound of the number 4 group of metals in the periodic table of elements.
The present invention further provides a solid catalyst component (A-2) for olefin polymerization, which is obtained by a process comprising the step of contacting:
(a-2) a carboxyl group-carrying polymer carrier,
(b) a transition metal compound of the number 4 group of metals in the periodic table of elements, and
(c) a phenol compound.
The present invention further provides a catalyst for olefin polymerization, which is obtained by a process comprising the step of contacting:
(A-2) the above-mentioned solid catalyst component, and
(B) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an organoaluminum compound and an organoaluminumoxy compound.
The present invention further provides a process for producing an olefin polymer, which comprises the step of polymerizing an olefin in the presence of the above-mentioned catalyst.
The present invention further provides a process for producing a solid catalyst component (A-1) for olefin polymerization, which comprises the step of contacting:
(a-2) a carboxyl group-carrying polymer carrier,
(b) a transition metal compound of the number 4 group of metals in the periodic table of elements, and
(c) a phenol compound.